Preparing for the Comp Sci. GRE?

arys asks: "I've been looking around for a good book on the GRE Computer Science subject test but all I found were a book that is out of print and an other that has the worst reviews possible. What I want to ask is those of you that have taken the test, how did you prepare for it?"

Re:Best way to study for the CS Subject Test

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I don't think one has to have attended an Ivy league school to get a good score test but I do think that one has to have attended a quality school with good professors.

Don't get me wrong; I think I got a decent education from the public school that I went to, as well. I would say that most people who pay enough attention in class at most any accredited college will learn enough to become decent professionals in the field of Computer Science.

However, to get into a Ph. D. program, you have to be better than decent, as you have noted in your post. You're going up against a tough crowd of people from some of the finest institutions in the world. The test isn't about doing well, it's about doing better than a substantial percentage of all the other people taking the test.

In a general Computer Science degree, you just won't be (in my opinion) exposed to the depth and breadth needed to really excel on the subject test. And that's what it's all about. If you can score in the 90th+ percentile, you will get in a Ph. D. program somewhere. If you can score in the 95th+ percentile, you'll probably have a free ride, too (stipend and tuition remission). Don't forget that the regular GRE is also important as it relates to getting teaching assistantships in some cases. The general GRE test is all about gaming the system, a trained moron could ace the test -- get the Princeton Review book and read it thoroughly.